Four Memphis Museums Among the Nation's Elite | Arts & Culture

The American Association of Museums (AAM) has announced three Memphis museums have received re-accreditation for 2011 through 2026.

The Dixon Gallery and Gardens, The Pink Palace and the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel were accredited during the 2011 review cycle, joining the Brooks Museum which was re-accredited during an earlier review cycle. The four Memphis museums join an elite group of only 779 out of 17,500 museums in the US that are accredited, representing 5% of all museums in the country according to the AAM.

Accredited status means the following:

• certifies that a museum meets the program’s eligibility criteria and the Characteristics of an Accreditable Museum as set forth by the Accreditation Commission 
• certifies that a museum has undergone a rigorous process of self-assessment as well as review by its peers 
• signifies that a museum fulfills its obligations to the public as set forth in its mission 
• recognizes a museum’s commitment to excellence, accountability, high professional standards, and continued institutional improvement

The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel received its initial accreditation in 2005, with a provisional, five-year award.  After making significant improvements, NCRM received a full reaccreditation award in 2011. The Museum is the site of the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968.

The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, founded in 1916 in Overton Park, is one of the largest art museums in the American South.  The Brooks is a recognized educational innovator and leverages its collection of over 9,000 works to build a better Memphis by transforming lives through the power of art.  In addition to the renowned permanent collection, the Brooks presents special exhibitions from antiquity to contemporary exploring art from cultures across the globe. 

The Pink Palace Family of Museums is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the Southeast. It includes an IMAX® theater, a planetarium, Lichterman Nature Center, two historic houses, Coon Creek Science Center as well as cultural and natural history galleries that tell the story of the Mid-South through exciting exhibits, dioramas, and audio-visuals.

The Dixon Gallery and Gardens was founded in 1976 by Margaret and Hugo Dixon, the most generous cultural benefactors Memphis has ever known. A world-famous museum of fine art and public garden, the Dixon is distinguished by its outstanding special exhibitions, diverse and innovative education programs, and by a beautiful collection of French Impressionist and modern paintings.